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mainsheet

American

[mayn-sheet] / ˈmeɪnˌʃit /

noun

Nautical.

a sheet of a mainsail.

mainsheet British

/ ˈmeɪnˌʃiːt /

noun

nautical the line used to control the angle of the mainsail to the wind

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mainsheet

First recorded in 1475–85; see origin at main ¹, sheet ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

mainsheet

Singlehanded events can leave the commentators with little more to talk about than why that French laser sailor keeps putting his mainsheet in his mouth.

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2021

According to a timeline of events released by the team, Mr Fisher was hit by the mainsheet system and knocked overboard.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2018

As the mainsail swung across the boat, the mainsheet system caught Fisher and knocked him off, the team said.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 29, 2018

Daniel eased the mainsheet and let the boom swing out.

From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2016

A chill took him and he lashed the tiller over with the tail of the mainsheet and went below for a moment to get his windbreaker.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023